My favourite genre is fantasy, but one of my other all time favourite things to read about is the Tudors! I love this era of history so much and I will pretty much read anything about it. Unfortunately, the Tudor historical fiction scene seems to be very dominated by romance/slightly bland books that are churned out, and I have read a lot of the decent ones. If you have any recommendations, please let me know! But today I’m going to be recommending some of my favourite books about the Tudors – mostly fiction, but there are a few non fiction books I’ll throw in as well.
First up is the Six Tudor Queens series by Alison Weir. A Tudor lover really couldn’t ask for anything more than this series. It’s nearly completed, and each book is about one of Henry VIII six wives, from Catherine of Aragon to Catherine Parr. This is an immensely satisfying and fulfilling series and I can’t believe its almost over since I have been reading it since only the first book was published. Weir’s writing is detailed and I love the characters she build for each wife. These are some of my all time favourite books in general, and definitely some of the best Tudor historical fiction books that exist.
Another author that I am obsessed with is Philippa Gregory. She has written so many books and I have read most of them. I love her Plantagenet series also, but here I’m just going to mention her best books about the Tudors.
I have to mention the beloved The Other Boleyn Girl. To be sure, this is not the most historically accurate book ever written, but it is so fun to read, the characters are fantastic and honestly this is the book that originally sparked my obsession with the Tudors, so it means a lot to me. Philippa Gregory has exquisite writing which so effortlessly captures the essence of the Tudor court. Plus, there is a super great film of this!
Some other Philippa Gregory Tudor books that I love include:
The White Princess – centres around Elizabeth of York, married to her enemy, Henry VII, and follows the numerous plots and pretenders to throne that the newly married couple have to deal with. Again, the writing is beautiful, and Elizabeth is such a strong character.
Three Sisters, Three Queens – this stars Margaret Tudor, sister of Henry VIII, her life in Scotland after she marries its king, and her tumultuous relationship with her sister Mary and sister-in-law Katherine of Aragon. Margaret can be selfish and petty and completely self-absorbed sometimes, but she’s realistically unlikeable and Philippa Gregory is so great at writing spoiled princesses just the way they should be.
The Taming of the Queen – this book is about the iconic Katherine Parr, and her marriage to Henry, her determination to write books and study as a man can, and how volatile and dangerous Henry VIII could be. I love this one a lot and I really hope that in the future Philippa Gregory returns to writing books about the Tudors, even though for the moment she has moved on.
Onto some nonfiction – I don’t read as much as I should, and I would like to read more. However, I have read some really interesting and informative books that I would like to recommend.
One of my favourite non-fiction books about the Tudors ever is Elizabeth’s Women by Tracy Borman. This is such a readable and interesting book which offers up a lot of interesting theories about Elizabeth I. Plus I was lucky enough to see Tracy Borman talk, and have my book signed, and she was incredible. I have another book of hers, The Private Lives of the Tudors, on my tbr, which I can’t wait to read.
Some other fantastic non-fiction includes:
Katherine Howard: The Tragic Story of Henry VIII’s Fifth Queen by Josephine Wilkinson – a moving and beautiful book which considers Katherine Howard in a light I think many people overlook.
Anne of Cleves: Henry VIII’s Discarded Bride by Elizabeth Norton – a short but interesting look at Henry VIII’s fourth queen, who I don’t think there is enough written about. Plus I think this author has written quite a few books about the Tudors, so I have that to look forwards too.
I hope this post offered you something new to read! I need to get to more non-fiction, and dig deeper for some new fiction authors that I will love. I would love to read some non-fiction about the wives I haven’t recommended books for here, especially Jane Seymour who is also neglected by a lot of literature in my opinion.
I hope everyone is staying safe and well! Thank you for reading.
Eleanor
The Bookish Courtier 